Math Message
January Edition
Welcome to 2016!
I also love this blog by Dr. Justin Tarte. He recommends some great reflection questions as you embark on a new year!
This is also a great time to "reset" your class. We all know that our students can get lax in the routines and procedures that you set at the beginning of the year so January is the time to make sure they remember these routines and that you are holding them accountable for your expectations.
Blog Spot
Another great blog recommended by my friend and colleague Sharon Gardner is "Educational Technology and Mobile Learning." Here is one of the latest on integrating Google classroom into your math world. Check it out here!
Do you ever get a song stuck in your head? I know from experience that songs can help us remember things. I used songs all the time in Kindergarten to teach words, concepts, and ideas. All kids love music. Check out this great blog by Brittany Chapman at BES for teaching properties of multiplication. 4th graders love this song to help them remember this concept!
Mathematicians At Work
Kindergarten
3rd Grade
More 3rd grade
Teachers love learning too!
National Learning Forward Conference 2015
I left this conference with a stronger knowledge base about the effects of verbal and non-verbal communication. Do you know that our brains pay attention to the sound and pacing of voice as well as gestures and pauses? There are two types of voices that teachers use on a daily basis with students and even parents-credible and approachable. Do you know when to use each one?
If you are overly approachable, you can lose credibility and if you are too credible, you may lose relationship. There are proven ways to inflect, use non-verbals, and gestures to communicate with your audience.
A great strategy to help your students pay attention to directions, and help them remember steps is to use a visual paragraph. Many of you probably do these things, but by knowing the "why" behind it and when to use each strategy, you can become more intentional with your communication and increase your effectiveness as the leader of your classroom.
If you are interested in learning more, ask your Liaison to put in a ticket and I can come to a PLC or after school session to share more.
Book Study Finale
Contact information
Instructional Coach
Email: melanie.gonzales@gcisd.net
Website: http://gonzamel.blogspot.com/
Phone: 682-558-1367
Twitter: @gcisdMelanie